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Monday 3 August 2009

Arriving in Delhi

Well Hello everyone. I have been in Delhi for one week now, Ant has gone into his first day at school and I am sitting in an air conditioned dark apartment in Green Park ready to tell you all about it. Cyprus was great fun. We connected with family and friends, Christine and her kids came from South Africa, Thomas aka pigeon from Swizerland and the kids met many friends there. The downside was I did have to go back and forth to Nicosia very often to chase up paperwork for Tara.
She survived the journey but we didnt know where or how to find her. A man was sent to help us but he was less than helpful and we began an interesting 3 hour process of trying to locate her, complete the paperwork and go home with her. We were ushered into dirty dinghy offices, mercifully airconditioned where an official sat reading the paper. On his wall two posters "dont buy trouble" ( covert message to us perhaps ? ) and the Tortoises and Freshwater Turtles of India. Ledgers were produced and entries made, journeys to other dinghy offices, some of which were closed. Finally with a sufficient number of stamps and duplicates we were led to a little room saying live pets where Tara was sitting in her sky kennel no doubt wondering where the hell we were!We were delighted to see her and she panted her way to Green Park which is our temporary home while we wait for our container.
Green park has a main road which comes to life about 10.00 am. From fruit vendors to little provision stores to coffee shops and wonderful vegetarian restaurants it would appear to have it all. We live on the ground floor of a three storey apartment opposite a beautiful square of green with a moghul tomb in it.
Hightlights of the week :
Ants haircut at Shakirs for £2 where he was treated to a head and face massage like you have never seen before. He was laughing all the way home.
Visiting the house and meeting our staff, Shiva our driver and Kumari our smiling nepalese maid who is the spitting image of our favourite Nepalese woman Didi. We met our new adopted stray dog Chini who acts like a guard dog. T is useless in that respect. We met our neighbours and Mrs Kapoor the landlady. Fabulous middle aged down to earth matriarch of a large family. Totally in control and great to work with . She was responsible for a lot of the improvements to the house.
Our first monsooon. The heavans opened and before long we had water coming in under the back door. We opened to investigate and there was a gushing waterfall coming down the stairs. Charlie and Ant had a lot of fun wading through the 3 inches of water that had fallen on the flat terrace looking for the blocked drain.
Driving down two lane motorways the wrong way and this is with the official driver !
Finding markets with favourite goodies, enjoying the signs, "Deep Sewer Keep out", "For Bathroom Fixtures go to Hindware" and "Thailand for Sale 14,999."

8 comments:

  1. Way hay! The first post from India! Loved reading it all, especially the haircut and blocked drain part. Oh the joys of expat life.... Fabulous to keep up to date this way. Looking forward to the next adventure. Love Catherine

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  2. Hi my sis, enjoyed it all, how is T with the new one. Send us picks of Ant and the house and the monsoon and Ants first day at school.

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  3. Hi Marina,
    So good to hear from you, brings back so many memories of living in Africa.. Looking foward to see pictures.. Hope Tara adjusts to her new buddy, she'll be the inside top dog.
    Take care , much Love to you all

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  4. Waiting for a picture of what you see from your flat.
    Niki

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  5. Hey Clover,
    Was glad to discover your blog, just before we leave tomorrow for a couple of weeks of vacation. Looking forward to seeing lots of exotic pictures and reading your interesting stories upon my return. Sounds very exciting! Are you living among the locals or other expats? Good luck! Kildare

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  6. Hello Marina,
    Great to hear from you...Love your blog..great way to keep in touch. So glad to hear you found Tara.. I sent you one card and sending another today. Gavin is in Guam at the Pacific Island Club and loving his job. We are still trying to pick the best time to visit him. Heather,Wylan and Gonzalo are planning to visit in October as it will be Gavin's 21st birthday. We are thinking of going around Christmas time. Becky

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  7. Just to remind Mezze eaters that Charlie has been surviving in Delhi without the family and is delighted that the first contingent has arrived. G and N are expected end next week. Our current preoccupation is when do we get the container delviered ... and on the bureaucratic side transferring visas and getting entry permits sorted (long story but for any familiar with the paper Raj we are potentially stuck with wrong visa and no way except going back to Switzerland to sort). I am reassured this is all par for the course and I am not going to moan. We have a lovely house and garden; Ant seems to enjoy his school and has found some mates already; Tara is much slimmer and quite mobile in the heat; and I absolutely love my job and being here. My only concern is the dreadfully bad monsoon so far - almost no rain. Of course the only time it did rain we had a flood, but thats another story.

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  8. Hi guys, lovely to read about it all... We are doing well on this side of the planet. AnnaJ and Athos are in Poms, auntie Ninimou arrived tonight...enjoyed Ant at the barbers, and the comments! Nini and I will be in Yialousa as of the 14th to the 19 and then off to Vasa until the house regains its serenity and the kids return to their natural parents. Love you and miss you all

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